Kicking my clothes into the corner of the laundry room, I opened the dryer and looked in, finding it full.
After setting the timer for another fifteen minutes, I turned it on and headed back into the kitchen to my food—or Haggard’s food.
After inhaling it, I went to the freezer to look inside at Haggard’s stash of ice cream and frozen M&M’s.
After snatching a small half gallon of Blue Bell’s Great Divide and the M&M’s, I went to the counter and pulled down Haggard’s favorite bowl—and how did I know it was his favorite? Because when his sweet tooth hit when I was around, this was the same thing that he did.
I hadn’t always liked M&M’s and ice cream.
I mean, how boring? Why not Snickers? Or Reese’s?
But after watching him enjoy it one too many times, it’d become my obsession, too.
Anything Haggard did was my obsession.
After letting Body out and then back in, I locked the door, then set the alarm.
I’d let him out one more time, but still that creepy feeling hit me, as if I was being watched.
I shut the blinds for good measure, then jiggled the locked to the garage, despite knowing that I had already locked that door.
I was walking into the living room, Body at my side, while I tried to decide what to do.
I could sit there on the couch where I usually sat, or I could sit in Haggard’s chair.
Haggard’s chair was a worn, leather La-Z-Boy recliner that looked to be about a thousand years old. It had a blanket over the top because it was so worn, and there was also a blanket tucked into the cushion, as if instead of moving it, he’d just sat beside it and wedged it in more.
I took that seat, feeling my heart race.
Everyone that entered this house knew that the recliner was Haggard’s, and not even the little asshole Boston tried to sit in it.
But tonight… no one was here to stop me.
I snuggled into the recliner, loving the way the thing seemed to swallow me whole, and turned on the television.
Once I’d selected my favorite show, I dug into my ice cream and smiled the entire time.
Why? Because it felt like I was wrapped in Haggard’s arms.
Three hours later, I awoke with confusion to the dog growling.
My eyes were heavy with sleep, and I still had the taste of M&M’s in my mouth.
I wasn’t sure when I’d fallen asleep. But when I looked up at the television, it said, ‘Are you still watching?’
I glared at the TV.
Normally, I hated that prompt. Of course, I’m still watching, Netflix! I’m bingeing a show! Get off me!
But tonight was different.
I was mentally and physically exhausted.
So much so that I’d fallen asleep within the first episode sometime.
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and curious on what had woken me, I realized that I really had to pee.
Like, DEFCON levels bad.
Slowly putting the chair down—I was used to doing it quietly because Clem and I liked to sit in it despite us not supposed to be—I closed the footrest and started to stand, only to come to a sudden, complete stop when I spotted what was in the doorway.
My heart hit a million miles an hour just as Body’s growling went from warning to ‘don’t come any fucking closer.’
I shivered as I realized I was standing in the living room in a t-shirt and a skimpy pair of panties and nothing else. Practically naked.
Oh, and there was a man I definitely didn’t recognize standing across the room from me, looking intimidating as hell, when I knew without a doubt I wouldn’t be able to fight him off. Not with what I was currently holding—which was a fucking remote!
I swallowed hard and said, “You need to get out.”
Because honestly, I may be carrying nothing, but I wasn’t weaponless.
In fact, there was a vibrating dog at my side that was made to take care of the family, and I’d been part of the family for nearly ten years.
“I don’t think I will,” the man shot back. “I think I’ll stay right here.”
I swallowed hard past the lump in my throat and said, “You don’t want to do this.”
He laughed. That laugh would haunt me.
Low. Scary. Humor filled.
“Oh, I think I do.” He looked me up and down, taking in my attire. “I waited for every single neighbor in the area to turn off their lights before I came in here. But you sure tempted me to do it earlier.”
I wanted to barf.
I also wanted to know what the hell was up with the security system.
Didn’t that thing go off when the door was opened?
Only, I remembered what had happened earlier.
The garage door was open. And since Haggard went in and out of the door that led to the garage about a hundred times a night, he’d rigged it to where the alarm wouldn’t sound when that part of the house was opened and closed.